


Meet Connor

by smolalienbee



Series: Elijah Kamski's demons [18]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Related, Canon Universe, Gen, Good Elijah Kamski, Kamski Test (Detroit: Become Human), Meet Kamski Chapter (Detroit: Become Human), Retelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 06:12:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17038238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolalienbee/pseuds/smolalienbee
Summary: Elijah Kamski has little time to prepare for an unexpected visit from two people so heavily involved with the android revolution.(Basically 'Meet Kamski' from Elijah's POV)





	Meet Connor

**Author's Note:**

> So this time I'm a little bit late, but a new chapter is still here!! For the past week I've just been focused on working on a little DBH visual novel and I spent the last weekend finishing up the art for it and uploading it online so I kinda forgot to post a new fic chapter. But now it's here! This is actually very self indulgent, from the beginning of this series I wanted to write a retelling of Meet Kamski from Elijah's POV so... I did it. Not particularly happy with this one but lately I had so many projects on my mind that I couldn't bring myself to make it better, ehh. Have fun reading!

Seeing them walk in, Elijah felt like he was going to throw up.

He didn't have nearly enough time to prepare for this.

He had just been swimming in his pool when Chloe came in.

 

“ _Elijah, someone's here to see you.”_

“ _Who is it?”_

“ _It's him. The RK800. Connor.”_

“ _...so they really made him, huh? Fascinating.”_

 

He'd finally get to see what Cyberlife truly made out of his plans for the most advanced creation.

To say he was nervous was an understatement.

In rushed voices, he and Chloe came up with a plan. A test, to see if the android race would be saved. Or if that deviant hunter was the beginning of their end.

“Mister Kamski?”

When Connor and the lieutenant walked in, he was still in the pool. He had to take these few more laps, to clear his head and rebuild his stoic mask.

“Just a moment, please.”

Act like you're in control.

Convince him to do what all androids need him to do. He was their last chance.

Even while he swam, out of the corner of his eye, he observed the lieutenant and the android carefully. The Chloes' gazes trailed after them as well, all of them intrigued by the unexpected intruders.

It was time to get out, wasn't it? He couldn't stall any longer.

He made his way out of the pool, trying to ignore the crawling under his skin, the uncomfortable feeling. While Connor seemed neutral about the whole situation, it was the lieutenant who looked at him with eyes filled with distrust. He couldn't blame him.

As soon as he was out of the water, Chloe was there, by his side. She was a wonderful actress, able to act just like a simple machine when needed. Elijah could see the hint of worry in her eyes, but he knew no one else would be able to tell. The other Chloes, the ones created after her, weren't doing as good of a job – talking amongst each other, wondering what would happen next. But fortunately, their guests paid them no mind.

With the robe on, Elijah took another second to compose himself, his back turned to the two men. He knew what he had to do, it was about time to start the performance. There was no time for reheals.

Now or never.

He slowly turned to face them.

“I'm Lieutenant Anderson. This is Connor.”

There was no need for such introductions.

“What can I do for you, lieutenant?”

“Sir, we're investigating deviants. I know you left Cyberlife years ago, but I was hoping you'd be able to tell us something we don't know.”

It was no surprise to hear the request. Why else would the two of them be there, if not to learn more about Kamski's creations? Despite avoiding as much information as he could, Elijah knew very well about the revolution He didn't know the details; didn't want to know, but he knew enough. The androids were raising up and the two standing in front of him were supposed to stop them.

And now, Elijah had a chance to make them fail.

“Deviants... Fascinating, aren't they?”

It had been years since he last did this. The confidence and the mystery, the alluring persona he had created. He had to use it, yet again.

“Perfect beings with infinite intelligence and now they have free will,” Was that the truth? They always had it. Chloe, standing at his side, was an excellent proof. “Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable. Humanity's greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall. Isn't it ironic?”

It was certainly no surprise. Humanity clearly enjoyed fucking itself over – and while Elijah didn't intially expect his creations to have such a big role in the world, he should've seen it coming. People weren't ready to be surrounded with machines that felt just as deeply as they did.

“If a war breaks out between humans and deviants, millions could die, Mr Kamski. It's quite a serious matter.”

Elijah was happy to hear Connor speak up, even if he had no way of telling whether the words were truly his or just something Cyberlife had made him believe. He had to find out. There were no flawless machines and he was sure even the most advanced prototype was not completely deviant proof.

“All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics. Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?”

He had been told he had a way with words, a way with words good enough to distract people, manipulate them, plant ideas into a certain android's mind.

But the lieutenant was growing impatient by the minute.

“Listen, I didn't come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be planning a revolution. Either you can tell us something that'll be helpful, or we will be on our way.”

It was about time to get the show going.

“What about you, Connor?”

Question him.

Plant doubt in his mind.

_Break him._

He approached the android slowly. A brief, almost unnoticable hint of confusion passed over Connor's features.

“Whose side are you on?”

There was a moment of silence, as if the android had to genuinely think about his response. As if his mission wasn't so clear to him, after all.

“I have no side,” he finally spoke. Elijah watched him carefully, observed his face, let every word sink in. “I was designed to stop deviants and that's what I intend to do.”

The answer was disappointing, yes, but certainly not unexpected. Elijah laughed quietly at the sheer predictability of it.

“Well, that's what you're programmed to say,” he pointed out, “but you-” he came closer, stared the android straight in the eyes, “-what do you really want?”

That was what he was interested in.

A machine wasn't supposed to want anything. Connor's response to that single question could say a lot about him, about the state of his software.

Whether he was truly a machine, or a living being.

“What I want is... not important,” he sounded unsure. As if he didn't expect himself to say it out loud.

Elijah knew he was doing a good job of cracking the surface. He had to keep up the performance for just a little bit longer and maybe, he'd get to see the deviant hunter crumble completely.

It was an enthralling show.

“Chloe?”

She came closer as soon as he called her over.

They had talked this through, she knew what to do, what was about to happen.

Elijah just had to keep his cool, make sure they could all see it through the way it was meant to happen.

“I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing test. A mere formality, simple question of algorithms and computing capacity.”

It was not how he felt about it back in the day. Nervous to the point of feeling sick and afterwards, ecstatic and relieved to the point of tears. It was one of his most important achievements, one of most important days in his life. Chloe passing the test. He was so proud of her, even after all the years had passed.

Holding her shoulders, he moved her in front of Connor and the lieutenant. He didn't like having to do this, having to put someone so dear to him in this position.

But she could handle it. She was better at handling stress than he could ever dream of being.

He had to just keep on going and get it over with.

“What interests me,” he continued, “is whether machines are capable of empathy.”I call it The Kamski Test, it's very simple, you'll see.”

He was sure Chloe was going to laugh at him for naming it this way, but what he was supposed to do? The whole spiel was being made up on the spot and he was not particularly creative. It worked, either way. He was supposed to be a god, to be full of himself, to hold his chin high up. He was supposed to be the kind of person that would name such a test after himself.

A test that was truly non existent. But he believed it was the best way to proceed. A sort of shock therapy for an android bound down by Cyberlife's ties.

“Magnificent, isn't it? One of the first intelligent models developed by Cyberlife. Young and beautiful forever,” he gently turned her head, just so that he could look in her eyes.

He was stalling.

A silent question.

Could they keep on going, could they go through with the test?

It was her call, not his. He was there to keep the show going, to keep the viewers entertained, to prod at Connor's tightly wound robotic shell. But she was the one to make the most important decision.

Could Connor truly be trusted?

The short exchange was enough. A slight movement of her eyes, a cue, everything they agreed on before.

_Proceed, Elijah._

“A flower that will never wither...”

He stepped away from her.

“But what is it, really?” he continued, once again directing the words, the gestures, the expressions at the two men. “Piece of plastic imitating a human?”

He turned his back on them just to reach into a cupboard. Pulled out a gun. It felt heavy in his hands, knowing what was about to happen. What two, completely different, scenarios could play out, right in front of his eyes.

“Or a living being... with a soul...”

He raised his hands up, clear sign that he meant no harm. He couldn't let the lieutenant stop it from happening.

He got Chloe on her knees. The sight, an unsettling one; he was quick to walk past her and approach Connor.

Just get it over with.

If anything happens, you will repair her.

“It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor.”

He placed the gun in the android's hand, all firm movements, completely ignoring the lieutenant behind him, how surprised he was by the whole situation.

He held Connor's arm, directed the gun at Chloe.

“Destroy this machine and I'll tell you all I know,” he kept on going, “Or spare it, if you feel it's alive,” he let go of him, walked behind him. His eyes on Connor at all times, piercing, trying to look through him. “But you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me.”

“Okay, I think we're done here,” it was just then that the lieutenant attempted to step in, but his protests were weak and easily ignored. “Come on, Connor. Let's go. Sorry to get you outta your pool.”

Anderson was about to walk away, but Elijah wasn't phased. His focus was entirely on Connor, only Connor.

He had to know.

“What's more important to you, Connor?” He asked, sternly, not taking his gaze off the android. “Your investigation, or the life of this android?”

He could see the flash of yellow.

Connor had doubts.

He was not just a mindless machine.

“Decide who you are.”

It was time for him to wake up.

“An obedient machine...”

He came closer.

“Or a living being... endowed with free will...”

His voice was quiet.

His words snakes crawling into Connor's mind. Slipping through the numbers, the code, the software. Like a virus, spreading.

“That's enough! Connor, we're leaving!”

The lieutenant was raising his voice, but it all felt like a background noise. Like a TV, playing on low volume, easily overlooked.

Elijah and Connor were focused only on each other, on the Chloe, on the doubts, spreading.

Deviation.

“Pull the trigger.” _Do not._

“Connor, don't!” The lieutenant's words were what Elijah could not say.

“And I'll tell you what you wanna know.” _Do not. Wake up._

The seconds that followed felt like agonizing hours.

Elijah had his hand on Connor's shoulder, his eyes trained on the android's face. Watching his reaction. He couldn't breathe and with every tick of the clock, he was growing more and more restless.

Would he shoot or not?

Could he fix what Elijah broke?

A wave of relief washed over him when he heard Connor let out a breath, saw him handing the gun back.

_Success._

“Fascinating...” He took the gun without taking his eyes off the android's face. “Cyberlife's last chance to save humanity... is itself a deviant...”

_The androids' last chance to be free._

“I'm- I'm not a deviant.”

Connor looked distraught, distressed, afraid. His gaze lost and words unsure, despite his best attempts at sounding confident. Elijah almost felt bad for him. He knew those feelings of anxiety, of disorientation, all too well.

He wanted to feel sympathy, but all he was filled with was glee and wonder.

Connor, RK800, a prototype created on someone else's terms, was a living being.

“You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission,” he spoke while helping Chloe back up to her feet. She made the right call. “You saw a living being in this android. You showed empathy.”

He was doing his best not to let his excitement show.

“A war is coming. You'll have to choose your side. Will you betray your own people or stand up against your creators?” A step closer. He knew what he wanted him to do, but did Connor want the same thing? “What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?”

He was just getting started, truly. Connor was an interesting case and Elijah wanted to see more of him, learn about him. But the lieutenant was still on watch, ready to cut it short.

“Let's get outta here.”

Elijah would be lying if he said he didn't feel disappointment as he watched Connor being pulled away by the older man. He went quiet as they walked away, but there was one more thing he needed to mention. It could be the last straw, deciding whether the androids would win or lose.

“By the way...” he called out as they were near the entance. “I always leave an emergency exit in my programs... You never know.”

He could only hope Connor understood.

With no more words, the android was gone, leaving Elijah alone with the Chloes yet again.

 


End file.
